Eating back burned calories

Misssynth

Do you guys eat back calories you have burned through working out? I'm attending the gym around 5 times a week, doing cardio and burning between 300-500 calories per work out, and have my calorie allowance on here set above the 1200 as I'm looking for slow but sustainable weight loss (1lb a week instead of the 2lb which most people aim for). I have a tendency to eat back what I've burned as I share my evening meal with my partner who likes his food (and is really skinny, lucky him!). I know I would lose weight quicker if I DONT however I am working out more than I stated on MFP and the calories the site has set me is set for me working out less and still losing weight.
What do you think? What do you do? Pros and cons?

kimosabe1

I try and keep it at 1200 but if I work out, since I get extra calories I will have that cheeseburger or piece of cake.......

misssiri

Yes eat them. No cons. The slower, more sustainable weight loss allows you to maintain more lean body mass. Lean body mass is good to keep. It keeps your metabolism working right, as does eating. Eat them. All of them.

trogalicious

You could:

Eat at the level that MFP sets and eat back your exercise cals (at least a decent percentage), since that's how the site is designed.

OR

Calculate your BMR. Figure out your TDEE, eat at TDEE -10% or so. Keep working out and eat the same calories regardless of workouts or no.

Both are fine methods and will work.

phoebeleb

bump for later

rduhlir

If you are going to lose weight the way MFP sets it up then you are supposed to eat back the calories you burn. MFP already sets up a deficit for you.

Meaganandcheese

The way the math works, you should be able to eat all of those burned calories and still lose at a healthy rate. In my experience though, it's about finding the right number/balance that works for you and your lifestyle. I eat about half of them, and always make sure I net at least 1200. It's worth experimenting to find where that sweet spot is for you.

BaconMD

Yes, I eat back all and sometimes more of my exercise calories, and I also shot for 1lb/week.

Well, I used to do that.

Now I use my actual (well, estimated) TDEE minus a small percentage (like 10%) so I eat the same amount every day and don't have to fuss with an HRM or anything like that. It makes it easier to plan meals and I'm not as hungry on my non-exercise days as I was before.

I'm at 2600-2700 calories per day.

3foldchord

You could:

Eat at the level that MFP sets and eat back your exercise cals (at least a decent percentage), since that's how the site is designed.

OR

Calculate your BMR. Figure out your TDEE, eat at TDEE -10% or so. Keep working out and eat the same calories regardless of workouts or no.

Both are fine methods and will work.

DITTO

(I quickly switched to the 2nd method, less work logging.....)

subylove32

I would definitely try to eat back a lot of the calories you burn - If you don't, you may deprive your body the energy and muscle building elements to maintain those types of workouts in the long run. Your body will start to burn muscle to maintain the energy level if you don't eat enough.

Cassea7

Yes eat them. No cons. The slower, more sustainable weight loss allows you to maintain more lean body mass. Lean body mass is good to keep. It keeps your metabolism working right, as does eating. Eat them. All of them.

I REALLY like your answer and I wish everyone would follow this for their own best interest!!!!!:flowerforyou:

taso42

MFP numbers: eat back exercise calories

TDEE numbers (calculated yourself): don't eat them back

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Just be aware of how the numbers work, apply some critical thinking, and you should be fine.

NJL13500

Eat them back. MFP is designed to calculate net calories. The more you exercise the more you can/should eat to fuel your workouts. I lost 60 pounds in 10 months eating mine back. You also want to make sure that you don't get too hungry and set yourself up for eating everything in sight because you are hungry.

Good luck!

Bizzeemamanj

I eat them all! Every single one I can get. The only exception for me is when I ski. Then I cap myself at 500 extra calories for the day because it's easy to overestimate calories burned skiing. I use the MFP net calorie calculations and have been losing consistently.

Whipppets

I know this sounds like a strange way of doing it.
I put in my exercise calories in the morning so I know about the amount of calories I can have for the day.
And since I already logged it, i have to do the exercise..
I see the number of calories for dinner dwindling all day and it keeps me honest.

FLCANDI81

Wow I was wrong. I thought I was supposed to just eat what MFP allotted me and then the burning was burning, I wasn't supposed to eat those back. I am set at 1560 with a pound a week aimed to lose, with about an average of 400 calories burned 4 to 5 times a week w exercise. It looks like my net is sitting right around 1200 on those days I work out. Is this ok???? I am 5'4'' weighing in at 208 right now.. and my first milestone goal is to get under 200 for the first time in 3+ years. Can someone help me? I am eating fairly clean.. I could def do better some days, but I eat far more fruits and vegetables than I ever have and all i drink is water, water, water. Help! As workouts, I am walking for a half an hour on my hour lunch break at a pace of 3 miles per hour, doing the 30 day shred 4 nights a week, and lifting some small weights.

hardymommy123

You should eat them back, BUT be careful. MFP tends to overestimate how many calories you are burning...especially if you are a little more fit. If you have a heart rate monitor and calculate what you burn through that, then you are fine. But if you are using the calories based off of what they say on here, maybe don't eat them all back. MFP usually has me burning 100-200 more calories than what I actually have off of my monitor.

Cassea7

Wow I was wrong. I thought I was supposed to just eat what MFP allotted me and then the burning was burning, I wasn't supposed to eat those back. I am set at 1560 with a pound a week aimed to lose, with about an average of 400 calories burned 4 to 5 times a week w exercise. It looks like my net is sitting right around 1200 on those days I work out. Is this ok???? I am 5'4'' weighing in at 208 right now.. and my first milestone goal is to get under 200 for the first time in 3+ years. Can someone help me? I am eating fairly clean.. I could def do better some days, but I eat far more fruits and vegetables than I ever have and all i drink is water, water, water. Help! As workouts, I am walking for a half an hour on my hour lunch break at a pace of 3 miles per hour, doing the 30 day shred 4 nights a week, and lifting some small weights.

You must be hungry!! My stats are almost the same..I am 5 4 and set to lose 1 lb per week..I weigh 202 right now started at 204..I am also doing the shred and waking etc..If you dont eat the calories back then your metabolism will slow ..also you need the fuel to create muscle which burns fat and also to prevent your body from using the protein in your muscles for fuel..MFP gives me around 1550 and I am eating back my exercise calories and I am shrinking..Please eat protein..You will do great..just eat half of them if you like..:flowerforyou:

rowanwood

Wow I was wrong. I thought I was supposed to just eat what MFP allotted me and then the burning was burning, I wasn't supposed to eat those back. I am set at 1560 with a pound a week aimed to lose, with about an average of 400 calories burned 4 to 5 times a week w exercise. It looks like my net is sitting right around 1200 on those days I work out. Is this ok???? I am 5'4'' weighing in at 208 right now.. and my first milestone goal is to get under 200 for the first time in 3+ years. Can someone help me? I am eating fairly clean.. I could def do better some days, but I eat far more fruits and vegetables than I ever have and all i drink is water, water, water. Help! As workouts, I am walking for a half an hour on my hour lunch break at a pace of 3 miles per hour, doing the 30 day shred 4 nights a week, and lifting some small weights.

I recommend eating them back, especially at the uber low 1200 a day routine. I did...and I just got to one-derland myself. It works.

I also just upped my calories to 1470 and I'm going to eat my exercise calories this way too. I was losing 3 lbs a week and that's too fast for permanent loss, I think.

Misssynth

You should eat them back, BUT be careful. MFP tends to overestimate how many calories you are burning...especially if you are a little more fit. If you have a heart rate monitor and calculate what you burn through that, then you are fine. But if you are using the calories based off of what they say on here, maybe don't eat them all back. MFP usually has me burning 100-200 more calories than what I actually have off of my monitor.

Yeah I was worried about that also. Ive just ordered a HRM as I feel like i'm using more effort on the machines at the gym than they tell me, but not as much as MFP tells me.

aviator111

I've found that if I try to go under the MFP recommendations, then I run out-of-steam by the end-of-week. So I try to eat back the burnt-off calories.

I'm trying to lose 2lb-per-week, so I have a deficit set to 1000 cal, or a target of 1460 cal/day. I exercise with vigorous swimming for 50 laps front crawl and burn around 600 cal so my gross is 2060.

I try to eat the 2060 or as near as possible. If I try to squeeze a bit more 'dieting' in then I know I'm just losing muscle mass rather than fat and I'm wasting my time and impacting on my health. Plus I run out of energy after a few days.

The human metabolism will effectively 'eat itself' if you don't eat enough calories. There's a history of such with concentration camp survivors and POW's. You can achieve the same result by deliberately making your body eat any mass it can get hold of, and it will happily convert muscle as well as fat if you deliberately put it into such a position.